Support For Haley Stark's Thesis Publication

Hi there! My name is Haley Stark, and I am a senior studying Theater, Dance & Media at Harvard College.

For the past two years, I have been immersed in writing a novel that examines the social psychology of initiation, belonging, and guilt. Drawing on contemporary psychological research, I explore how individuals surrender their agency to collective systems, shaping a narrative that delves deep into the transformation of self within the group mind. This project is the culmination of extensive research, writing, and revision—blending academic insight with creative storytelling.

As part of my senior thesis showcase, I hope to publish this manuscript in hardcover form. Your generosity will directly support the production and distribution of these books, ensuring that this labor of love tangibly reaches its audience. Any contribution is deeply appreciated!

If you have any questions about the project, feel free to reach out!

Thank you for your support in bringing this book to life!

Blurb:

Knox Wells Testifies in the Trial of Alexander Cumberoff: A Reckoning of Character, Conduct, and the Curious Elasticity of Moral Fiber

It is a truth universally ignored that when young men of privilege gather in clandestine societies, they do so not to contemplate the virtues of justice and charity, but to conduct a far more enthralling experiment: to see how far they can go before the world—so tedious in its preoccupation with ethics—calls their bluff. This, in sum, is the predicament of Knox Wells, a bright young fellow who, by means of ambition, misplaced loyalty, and an unfortunate inclination to defer to those with deeper pockets, finds himself at the center of a most peculiar proceeding.

The evidence? A collection of artifacts, documents, and testimonials, each illuminating a different stage of his descent into the murky depths of the Earthen Brothers, a university society as exclusive as it is insidious. The charge? That he, with neither gun nor gallows at his back, walked willingly into a world of secrecy and subjugation, of ritual and reckoning, until at last he became not a mere participant, but a perpetrator. His defense? A narrative unraveled over two days, stitched together with memory, remorse, and the ever-convenient notion that human behavior, when viewed under the cold light of psychology, is less a matter of character than of conditioning.

Under the discerning guidance of Professor Derek Miller, this work takes the form of a trial—though the judge, jury, and executioner are none other than you, Dear Reader. As each piece of evidence is presented, borrowed from works of art that shape Knox’s mind as much as they shadow his deeds, you are left to decide: Is he victim or villain? Product of circumstance or architect of his own undoing?

Here is a thesis that refuses to resolve itself into a neat moral equation. It plays with form, offering not a simple tale but a fractured, ephemeral case file. It invites you to question whether the line between the accused and the accusers is, in the end, drawn with ink or with blood.

The trial is open. The evidence is before you.

Now tell me—what will you make of Mr. Wells?